Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Matthew 11:1-6)

The Testimony Of His Life

There has never been a man who has impacted the world as Jesus of Nazareth. In less than three years, Jesus turned the world upside down and forever changed the course of human history and the eternal destiny of all men. No man rules the earth with such power and might as the little child born in an animal stall in Bethlehem. He was the supposed son of Joseph, a carpenter from Nazareth. His mother was a quiet example of devotion to the Lord God. At the age of 30, Jesus began teaching the multitudes in a manner that astonished them. The world had not heard this kind of testimony as Jesus opened the scriptures of old revealing His nature and presence on every page. Opening the scrolls of the prophets, Jesus explained how He fulfilled the prophecy given long ago by the messengers of God. His teaching challenged the norm of Jewish theology breaking down the barriers placed by the scribes and Pharisees.

What was remarkable about the work of the man from Nazareth was His emphasis upon the common man, the poor and the rejected of society. Unlike the hypocrites of His day, Jesus spent time teaching every man with no concern for their station in life. He would take time to talk to a woman at a well, a ruler of the Jews at night and a rich tax collector who climbed a tree to see Him. This man would touch lepers, speak kindly to those of ill-repute, challenge the hierarchy of religious elite and admonish love for enemies. There was no man that ever spoke as this Jesus of Nazareth. Try as they may, many tried to trap Jesus in His teaching and always failing miserably; learned a greater lesson from His rebuke and soft answer. Incredibly enough, when the envious Jewish rulers had Jesus nailed to a cross, He forgave them.

Jesus of Nazareth was not just a remarkable teacher. He claimed to be the Son of God. Many men have walked that path influencing multitudes to follow them but to no avail. This man who taught so forcefully was also a true miracle worker. Charlatans were plenty and through their trickery convinced the people they were something when they were not. Jesus of Nazareth healed blind men and caused the lame to walk. Leprosy was not a disease that man could cure but Jesus of Nazareth cleansed many lepers by His word and His touch. Those who were deaf were healed of their infirmity. To the astonishment of everyone who were privileged to witness the power of Jesus, dead were brought to life again. One man had been dead for four days and the stench of decay had begun and Jesus restored him to life. He walked on water, commanded the forces of nature, subdued every spirit of Satan, and forgave sins.

John the Baptist languished in prison and questioned if the man he heard so much about was the true Christ. Jesus sent testimony of His work in teaching the people and healing all manner of disease. His life was His testimony. The miracles proved Him to be God’s son and His teaching established His authority. There can be no doubt. Faith is built on the testimony of the evidence of Jesus power and His word. The blessed man is the one who will not be offended by the clear sign that Jesus is the Christ. His power is written down for men to believe. His teaching is written down for men to accept. There is no other testimony. There is no other way, no other truth and no other life. Jesus is the Son of God.

It is impossible to do nothing about Jesus Christ. Not to decide for Him is to decide against Him, but decide we must. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)